€3.3 billion for Ukraine

“Today, we will disburse €3.3 billion to help with the purchase of drones and missiles as part of the loan to support Ukraine. Europe will continue to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to defend its citizens and its territory,” stated Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, 18 September.

This disbursement marks the fourth drawdown of funds from the €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine. Including this payment, €15 billion will have been utilised, earmarked for defence expenditure and broader budget support. The loan covers the years 2026-2027. €60 billion is to be allocated for defence needs, while the remaining €30 billion is to support the Ukrainian budget. It was emphasised that for Ukraine, the rapid delivery of necessary weaponry is particularly critical. The Commission states the necessity of accelerating deliveries within the Union by utilising stockpiles, reprioritising orders, and increasing production.

The disbursement follows last week’s decision by the European Commission to approve €6.1 billion for the purchase of weaponry for Ukraine (funds will be drawn from the €90 billion loan). Part of the money will likely be allocated to American PAC-3 missiles used in Patriot systems. The premise of the loan was to prioritise the purchase of European weaponry; however, due to Ukraine’s air defence needs, the Commission and Member States have agreed to this derogation.

The Commission also announced its readiness to utilise the unused portion of funds from the EU’s SAFE defence loan programme. The loan programme is worth €150 billion and is intended for Member States’ investment in defence and joint weaponry procurement. There are plans to launch a new programme for joint armament projects between the EU and Ukraine. One such undertaking would be a European air and missile defence system developed together with Ukraine as part of the Freya project.